By Dr. Gyan Pathak
Hundreds of protesters ultimately were able to reach near Jantan Mantar on October 10 to protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar despite the Union Government’s unprecedentedly locking off the venue and the entire Central Delhi, heavy deployment of police force in entire Delhi, internet shut down, erecting blockades across Delhi and its borders, preventing their movement by disrupting all means of transportation like Trains to Delhi, Metro Trains, and road transport, and even spreading stripes of nails on certain roads.
By 1 PM, 500 protesters were detained and taken away from Jantar Mantar area, the venue where CJP and students organization AISA, SFI, AISF and others had announced to hold their peaceful protest. By 2 PM, Police had already detained over 5000 protesters from across Delhi, which included students, youths, lawyers, politicians, civil society members, and general public.
Deserted look at Jantar Mantar and the nearby areas suggests that government succeeded in preventing the assembly of protesters at the site, but they failed in containing the movement, that spread in other parts of national capital region Delhi, and beyond it in other states, despite Union Home ministry’s direction to the states to prevent the Delhi bound protesters to move. Trains to Delhi were cancelled and public road transports were also made to run with skeleton services. It resulted into decentralized protests independent of the centralized movement from Jantar Mantar.
Even when the founder of the CJP Abhijit Dipke and its leaders Saurav Das, and Ashutosh Ranka were detained from their plane in Delhi, who were coming to participate in Jantar Martar protest scheduled from 10 AM, YouTuber Dhruv Rathi was detained from his Gurugram residence, and CJP’s Legal Affairs head Ratna Singh detained, the CJP announced that protest will go on, and it proved to be true. Later it was announced that CJP’s Ajinkya Shinde will lead the protest.
When the protest venue Jantar Mantar was made by police completely inaccessible by protesters, AISA leader Neha Bora announced that the protest would continue at Dilli Haat. Delhi Police, however, swiftly blocked the road leading to the new protest venue leading to Dilli Haat and detained her along with other activists. A protester suffered head injuries and seen profusely bleeding, and demonstrators seen requesting police to help for medical aid. This is one of the leading examples how after the protest venue was blocked off for protesters, they protested at every part of Delhi wherever they happened to be. Thus the protest spread from intended one venue at Jantar Mantar to multiple places in Delhi.
Other important personalities who were detained from Delhi by 3PM included former chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee and several other party leaders who were compelled to sit-in protest ad South Avenue bus stand after they denied them to go ahead to Jantar Mantar.
Rajya Sabha member AA Rahim was stopped at Nangloi Stadium along with SFI activists. Rahim then announced hunger strike at the spot. He is now demanding action against police who misbehaved with women students, and for the return of all the phones and bags snatched illegally from them by Delhi Police.
Former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas were also detained. They said in a statement that “democracy is under attack”. In Vijayan’s social media post is said, “Barricades may block the streets, but they cannot halt the march of democracy. No force can silence the people determined to defend their democratic rights.” Several other Left front leaders were detained.
CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, political commentator Yogendra Yadav, and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan have also been detained. Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby, senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat were also detained. SFI leader Aishe Ghosh was detained in central Delhi. A large number of CPI members and supporters joined the stir. Many of them were arrested. The president of the Indian Federation of Trade Union, Aparna was also detained along with members of the organisation.
Supreme Court lawyers also joined anti-CEC protests and they were also detained. Supreme Court Bar Association condemned detention of advocates and sought CJI’s intervention. Association expressed grave concern over the reported use of excessive force against and detention of senior and young advocates, particularly women lawyers, who were peacefully protesting in the Supreme Court area. The association has urged CJI to intervene and take up the matter with authorities to ascertain the whereabouts and safety of all detained advocates, and ensure that they have access to legal assistance, and secure their immediate release.
Thousands of people were arrested on October 9 to prevent the mobilization at Jantar Mantar on October 10.. Police threated youth in several parts of Delhi not to participate in the mobilization by contacting them personally or their families. Many protesters from others states are still trying their best to come to Jantar Mantar but they are not able to because of police deployment.
Many people heading towards central Delhi count not reach even to their workplace because police did not allow them to move. According to chairperson of Chamber of Trade and Industry Brijesh Goyal, the closure will cause around ₹2,000 crore loss to traders.
This is just a glimpse of what has been happening today in Delhi. However, the movement spread in other parts of the country too.
For example, Mumbai Police detained activists Tushar Gandhi and Feroze Mothoberewala. Protesters were organizing protests at August Kranti Maidan.
AAP leaders protested at Chandigarh in front of CEO, where Manish Sisodia and others were detained. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said, “PM Modi clearly knows he only won the election through vote chori and now he is hell-bent on protecting his fraud by completely crushing democracy.” Later, Kejriwal was also detained from his house in Lodhi Estate, while he was going towards Jantar Mantar.
Congress workers gathered at party headquarters in Srinagar and protests spread in other parts of the state.
Over 100 AISF and AIYF cadres sere detained during a protest rally in Chennai. They were heading towards Tamil Nadu Secretariat.
In Karnataka, at least 50 students were detained from Freedom Park at Bengaluru. Police notices, house visits and detentions are reported also from Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh.
News of protests has been pouring in from across the country, and even in Delhi several groups and political parties planning to protest during the remaining time of the day. Protesters have planned to keep it up in the coming days, which were not entirely depended on the central venue of the protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The police crackdown on protesters clearly have failed to contain the spread of the movement though they succeeded at Jantar Mantar. (IPA Service)
